• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, June 9, 2010

Five years ago, former AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre set off a debate about net neutrality by complaining that Google was getting a "free ride" on the telecom's pipes. Ever since, content companies like Google have largely been at odds with Internet service providers over whether neutrality laws would be a plus or minus.

Today, however, Google and Microsoft have joined with a host of technology and broadband companies -- including Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon -- to form an industry coalition that will draw on experts to "develop consensus on broadband network management practices or other related technical issues that can affect users' Internet experience."

The new coalition, Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group, aims to "function as a neutral, expert technical forum and promote a greater consensus around technical practices within the Internet community," said Dale Hatfield, the group's facilitator, and former Federal Communications Commission chief technologist, in a statement.

Google added in a blog post that the goal is to "bring together some of the smartest technical minds in this space to provide some useful guidance to policymakers and Internet stakeholders alike."

The launch of this group obviously doesn't prevent the FCC from attempting to enact neutrality rules, but it could very well shift momentum in the direction of self-regulation.

If nothing else, the coalition's launch could give FCC Chair Julius Genachowski reason to adopt a wait-and-see approach before proceeding with a plan to apply common carrier rules to broadband transmission. In fact, given the recent pushback from lawmakers -- including a threat today by Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) to ban the FCC from using funds to "regulate the Internet" -- it wouldn't be surprising for the agency to decide to delay acting on neutrality for now.